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Does NotchStar work on a Mac without a notch

Getting started Published

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Yes. On a Mac without a notch, such as an older MacBook Air, an iMac or a Mac mini, NotchStar draws a small floating pill at the top centre of the screen. It opens from the pill the same way it opens from a real notch, and all ten tools work.

How it decides

NotchStar asks macOS whether the screen has a notch by reading the top safe area. If the screen reports one, NotchStar sizes itself to the real notch. If not, it uses a pill that is 190 points wide and 24 points tall.

Using the pill

  1. Move the pointer to the top centre of the screen. The pill opens after a short pause.
  2. Pick a tool in the tab bar. Move away and it closes.
  3. If you prefer clicking, set Open notch to On click in Settings. See hover and click opening.

Limits

  • The pill is an overlay, not hardware. It sits above the menu bar, so it can cover menu bar items in the centre of a very crowded bar.
  • It follows the same macOS 14 requirement as the rest of the app.

Read the guide for Macs without a notch for how other apps handle this. For a tool you can use right away on any Mac, try System Stats.

Quick answers.

Is the pill the same size as the notch?

No. It is a fixed 190 by 24 points. On a real notch NotchStar matches the notch size.

Link to this answer

Keep reading.

Notch apps for Macs without a notch
Do notch apps work on iMac, Mac mini or older MacBooks? Yes, often as a floating pill. Here is what to expect and how NotchStar handles it.
Where NotchStar appears with an external display
NotchStar sits on the built in notched screen when there is one. On a Mac without a notch it uses macOS main display. Here is what to expect.
How hover opening works in NotchStar
Move the pointer to the notch and NotchStar opens after a short pause of 80 milliseconds. The open panel is 660 by 296 points. Click mode is in Settings.
CPU, memory, disk, battery and network
Live CPU, memory, disk, battery and network speed gauges in your Mac notch. Sampling only runs while the tab is open, so it stays light.

More in Getting started.

How to install NotchStar from the disk image
Download the NotchStar disk image, drag the app to Applications and open it. The star appears in the menu bar and the notch is ready.
What happens the first time you open NotchStar
On first launch NotchStar adds a star to the menu bar, starts the 7 day trial and the notch opens when you move the pointer to it. Here is what you will see.
How to check that NotchStar is notarized with spctl
Check the NotchStar download with spctl and a SHA256 checksum. Notarized apps report Notarized Developer ID, so macOS can verify who made it.
Which macOS version does NotchStar need
NotchStar needs macOS 14 Sonoma or later and runs on Apple silicon and Intel Macs. Here is how to check your version and what happens on older Macs.
Where NotchStar appears with an external display
NotchStar sits on the built in notched screen when there is one. On a Mac without a notch it uses macOS main display. Here is what to expect.
How hover opening works in NotchStar
Move the pointer to the notch and NotchStar opens after a short pause of 80 milliseconds. The open panel is 660 by 296 points. Click mode is in Settings.
NotchStar app icon

Put your notch to work.

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Buy NotchStar for $4 Try it in the browser